Veggie Pizza

I wanted to make this pizza yesterday but that didn't happen.  So I decided to make it today.

Here is what I did:

Pizza Crust
1 package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
2/3 cup warm water (105 to 115 degree Fahrenheit)
1-2/3 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

In a 2 cup liquid measure, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water.  Let stand until foamy, about 3 to 5 minutes.  I used my Cuisinart to mix the dough.  Using the metal blade add flour and salt to work bowl.  Mix. With machine running slowly add the yeast while pouring it through the feed tube.  Process until the dough forms a ball and no longer sticks to the sides.  In a large bowl, add olive oil.  Add dough to the bowl and move the dough ball around so that all sides of the dough are coated with oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm location for about 45 minutes.  The dough will rise to about double its size.  Turn dough out onto a floured surface and punch down.  Roll into desired crust size.  Place dough onto a pizza peel slightly covered with corn meal (this will prevent the dough from sticking to the board as you place it into the oven).  Let dough rest for about 10 minutes while you prepare the ingredients for the toppings.

Toppings:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Ricotta Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
Dried Oregano
Dried Basil
Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
Orange Bell Pepper, sliced thin
Can of Artichoke hearts, quartered and drained (you can buy them in the can already quartered)
Black olives, cut into quarters
Tomato, cut into thin slices
Sliced Banana Peppers
Here is what I did to start off.  Brush olive oil onto the crust.  Add ricotta cheese (add the amount that works) by spreading it around the crust.  The the other ingredients in whatever order you would like.  I layered the cheese in between the toppings.

Slide pizza onto a baking stone that has been preheated in a 450 degree Fahrenheit oven.  Bake pizza for about 30 minutes.

Along with the pizza we had side salads, which consisted of green leaf lettuce, tomato, carrots, some leftover artichokes, pepper, banana peppers and black olives.  The salad was served with homemade french dressing.

I want to hear from you.  What are your favorite toppings on a pizza?  Leave a comment below.  Thanks!

Pizza

Tonight I had a taste for pizza so instead of ordering out I decided to make our own pizza.  Pizza with a homemade crust really doesn't take that long, all you need is a little planning.


I use a Cuisinart recipe for crust which is super simple.  If you don't have a Cuisinart a mixer will work just fine. It really only takes about an hour to have the crust ready to use and the pizza will only need to cook about 30 minutes with the oven set on 450 degrees.  I use a baking stone and put that in the oven first so that it can get nice and hot.


1 package active dry yeast 
1 teaspoon granulated sugar 
2/3 cup warm water (105 to 115°F.)
1 2/3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoons table salt
¾ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil


In a 2-cup liquid measure, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Insert metal blade in work bowl and add flour and salt. 
With machine running, pour liquid through small feed tube as fast as flour absorbs it. Process until dough cleans sides of work bowl and forms a ball. Then process for 30 seconds to knead dough. Dough may be slightly sticky. Coat dough evenly with olive oil; transfer to a plastic food storage bag and seal the top. Let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes. 
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and punch down. Roll into desired crust sizes and place on baking pans lightly sprayed with vegetable oil cooking spray.


After your pizza dough is done and put into the shape you want just add the sauce and toppings you want.


We buy this really awesome pizza sauce from Williams-Sonoma.  It is an Artichoke Garlic Pizza Sauce.   (ingredients - artichokes, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, water, sea salt, thyme, pepper, red chili flakes, herbs, spices).  One jar of it will make at least 2 pizzas.  


On top of the pizza we used the sauce, fresh sliced tomatoes, canned artichokes hearts (well drained), and banana peppers.  I layered it with a cheese mixture of sharp white cheddar, romano, and parmesan. 


As you will see from the picture the pizza is not a perfect round or square shape.  I had a problem with it sticking to the pizza peel (the board used to slide a pizza into the oven).  Even with sprinkling cornmeal on the peel didn't work so good.  That is okay though, it doesn't have to look perfect it just needs to taste good.  At least this is one of my mottos.